5 Family Vacations Your Teen Will Actually Enjoy

Planning family vacations your teen will actually enjoy might seem like a task you are dreading as much as they are. It doesn’t have to be! Check these out!

Planning a family vacation your teen will enjoy might seem like a task you are dreading as much as they are.  It doesn’t have to be!  Sometimes staying at a resort can be boring, there isn’t much to see or do unless you venture out and even then, it might just be for dinner.  Save the resort for an adult only vacation.  Check out these family vacations your teen will enjoy!

Related: Summer Struggles Only a Parent of a Teen Can Understand

5 Family Vacations That Your Teen Will Love

Western road trip

When I was about 16 we went on vacation to Las Vegas and California.  We flew into Vegas and stayed there for a couple of nights. It is not just for adults!  There was a lot to do as a family.  From there we took the rental car and drove towards Los Angeles, by way of the Grand Canyon and the Hoover Dam.  I have fond memories of that trip!  It may have been where my love of the road began.  Road trips require snacks, drinks, tablets, books and maybe a few license plate games.  While out there, you should consider heading to 4 Corners, where Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona meet.  Don’t bypass the many ghost towns you will find out that way as well!

Orlando, Florida

 When you think Orlando, I am sure Disney World comes to mind.  It should, but it is not just for little kids.  Visiting the Disney parks is for people of all ages, including your teens.  From thrill rides such as Space Mountain and Soarin to Safari Rides and of course character greetings, your teens will have more fun than they might anticipate.  Disney not your thing?  No big deal, head over to Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure.  A day chock full of rides and movie fun, you can’t go wrong.  If you are up for it, either coast is only about an hour drive.

On the high seas

 I wish I had gone on a cruise as a teen!  It is a great family vacation because you get to see so many different things by going to a few different ports. There’s so much to do on the ship, too!  Many ships have teen-friendly nightclubs, games, and other activities during the day and then, of course, there are the pool and sundeck.  Think about all the great family memories you will create in the different ports with all the different adventures you go on.

Yellowstone National Park

 Many people visit each year, but they spend all their time in the car.  Why not get out of the car and explore Yellowstone by foot, raft, bike and horseback?  Austin-Lehman Adventures offers a 6-day Cowboys, Canyons and Campfires Family Adventure where you do and see things that you would not experience from the comfort of your car.  It is not all work, once you get to your day’s destination, there is time for parents to be adults and kids to be kids.  It sounds like the ultimate family vacation!  Check out all Austin-Lehman Adventures has to offer here www.austinadventures.com.

Check out this beautiful video of the park

Florida Keys

 There is no place like these islands off the southern tip of Florida.  From adventures on an airboat or glass bottom boat to swimming with dolphins, there is definitely something for everyone to enjoy in the Keys.  Get up early and enjoy the sunrise, or head to the beach at night with everyone else and watch one of the most beautiful sunsets you will ever witness.  Sun, sand, swimming and palm trees sound like a great family vacation to me!

Kids grow up fast!  If your teens are anything like I was, they are not super excited about spending their vacation with family.  Until they are there, and you show them what a great time you can have adventured with your family!  I am looking forward to when my kids are teens (did I just say that?!) and we can vacation and enjoy each other in a different way than we do now.

Do you have a favorite place you have brought your teens for family vacations?  Share with us in the comment section below!

14 thoughts on “5 Family Vacations Your Teen Will Actually Enjoy”

  1. Christina Aliperti

    Teens can be so hard to please! This is a great list of places and I am sure my son will be happy to choose one for a family vacation.

  2. Family vacations are usually so much fun & when you have teens it is going to be much more exciting for sure. I always love & prefer a road trip & visiting parks are also a good idea anytime.

  3. With economy and budget being on the forefront, taking affordable vacations is a wise thought. I think these are some amazing options as well as the destinations :)

  4. I think all of these are great choices. I have not gone to any of them, but they’re all on my list. I was hoping to go to Orlando in a few years. I think my girls would have a good time there too.

  5. Teens are more difficult to please when it comes to family trips. It’s good to have a list of places they might enjoy! They always end up having a lot of fun anyway.

  6. Thanks for some ideas on family vacations a teen will actually like! I have a teen and am planning to figure out what to do this summer overall as she is 13 but her brothers are 7 and 9 .. and now we have my 3 year old niece too.

  7. I loved traveling up the PCH and visiting Monterrey, Carmel and San Fran. We went to the Keys all the time as kids and I must confess it became tedious after a while. Yellowstone is beautiful as is Acadia National Forest in Maine.

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